all right
1 Americanadverb
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yes; very well; OK.
All right, I'll go with you.
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(used as an interrogative or interrogative tag) OK?; do you agree?.
We'll deal with this problem tomorrow, all right?
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satisfactorily; acceptably.
His work is coming along all right.
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without fail; certainly.
You'll hear about this, all right!
adjective
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safe; sound.
Are you all right?
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satisfactory; acceptable.
His performance was all right, but I've seen better.
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Informal. reliable; good.
That fellow is all right.
idioms
adjective
adjective
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adequate; satisfactory
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unharmed; safe
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slang
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acceptable
an all-right book
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reliable
an all-right guy
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adverb
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satisfactorily; adequately
the car goes all right
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without doubt
he's a bad one, all right
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Completely correct, as in You have a perfect score—your answers are all right . (It could just as well be put as “all your answers are right.”)
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In proper or working order, in a satisfactory way, as in The engine is running all right now . [Late 1800s] Also see turn out all right .
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In good health, as in John had the flu, but he's all right now . [Early 1900s]
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Not injured, safe, as in It was just a minor accident and everyone is all right . [Early 1900s]
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Very well, yes, as in Do you want to leave now?—All right , or All right, we'll stay home . [First half of 1800s] Also see all right with you .
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Certainly, without a doubt, as in It's late all right, but it will probably come today . [Mid-1800s]
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Hurrah! Good for you, as in All right! your team has done it again! [ Slang ; mid-1900s]
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Also, all-right . Good, satisfactory. For example, This restaurant is all right , or Harry is an all-right guy . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]
Spelling
See alright.
Etymology
Origin of all right1
First recorded in 1100–50; originally an adverbial phrase; compare Middle English al ri(g)ht “indeed, straightway, at once,” late Old English eall riht “just (as)”
Origin of all-right2
First recorded in 1815–25
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"To be honest, I don't really know what type of criticism people are talking about, but since I've been here - and I've been here during Ramadan - it's been all right for me," he replied.
From BBC
Especially because she couldn't have played football - she had to pretend to be a boy, so she's thinking, 'all right, we'll just see how far this goes'.
From BBC
Washington: Listen, we still have plenty of time to accomplish some more, all right?
From Los Angeles Times
That was his way of saying, “If you want to do a little looking around, pal, it’s all right with me.”
From Literature
“Things will turn out all right,” she said.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
